


The True Hero

by OurBlueStorm



Category: Greek Mythology, Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller, Troy (2004)
Genre: Aristos Achaion, Beloved, Best of the Greeks, It's really depressing sorry, M/M, The Song of Achilles - Freeform, Underworld, achilles is totally not crying, aggamemnon sucks, and so does apollo (sometimes), lots of feels, odysseus is an idiot, patrochilles - Freeform, patrochilles really hurts, philtatos, reunited, so does hector, solangelo, thetis didn't free Patroclus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2019-08-01 16:19:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16287848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OurBlueStorm/pseuds/OurBlueStorm
Summary: Thetis never put Patroclus' name on the tomb at the end of the Song of Achilles. He has been wandering the earth for 3000 years, his name forgotten by almost all. That is, until he gets a visitor.Takes place once Apollo receives his godliness back at the end of Trials of Apollo, so spoilers for the books that are currently out.





	1. A Quest

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.

Nico POV  
"I have a job for you. Don't ask questions."  
"What is it?"  
Hades rolled his eyes at his son, but calmed himself and gave Nico the answer. "A duty of mine as king of the Underworld is to make sure that not only do the damned souls receive punishment, but the blessed souls are happy. It has come to my attention that a certain soul in Elysium has not been at peace with himself since he got here, roughly three thousand years ago."  
"Why would that trouble you?" asked Nico. Normally, he knew, his father didn't care enough about the souls under his care.  
"This particular person has been here a while, is well known, and is greatly beloved by my brethren on Olympus. There would be great displeasure if nothing was done about this."  
"What do you want me to do about it?" Nico said, annoyed at his father's indirect explanation.  
"That is for you to find out. I do not know what will appease this spirit, and contact between the dead and living is forbidden. I doubt you would be able to get him to talk to you anyways," Hades said.  
Nico stared in disbelief. "Why me?"  
Hades sighed. "You are my son and one of the few living who are granted passage to the Underworld. My question for you, rather, is why not you.”  
"Can you at least give me a name?" Nico asked, annoyed.  
"A name should not be relevant. He fought and died in the Trojan Wars, and that is all the information I will give you."  
Nico stared. "How am I supposed to-"  
Hades cut his son off with a loud sigh. "I do not know what he desires, so it would be best for you to be on your way."  
Nico glared for a moment longer, but gave in. "Any other requirements for this dumb quest of yours?"  
Hades returned the sour look. "You may bring three companions if you wish. I doubt you will need them; this quest should not be dangerous. You may have to fight of a very powerful water nymph, though. Also possibly a river god. Maybe some shades. Many people died and were never claimed after the war, but easy other than that.”  
Nico walked out of his father's throne room, head reeling. "Not dangerous. Yeah, right. Everything is dangerous with him."  
He returned to camp by shadow travel, glad that the late spring sun provided shadows to jump through. He landed back at camp, so distracted that he had almost walked straight into Will Solace.  
His boyfriend chuckled. "Hold up, sunshine. Where are you off to?"  
Nico shrugged of Will's hand from his shoulder and mumbled something about speaking with Chiron. Will's face turned stern. "Are you okay? You look tired." Realization crashed over his face. "You shadow traveled, didn't you?"  
"So what if I did? I'm fine. I just need to talk to Chiron.  
Will shrugged and laced their fingers together. "Fine. I'm coming with you, though."  
Nico almost refused, but he didn't want Chiron to be the only one to know of his quest. He turned and pulled Will in the direction of the Big House.  
Chiron and Mr. D were deep in conversation when the pair entered the room.  
"Ah. Hello," Chiron cleared his throat. “Can we help you?”  
“Possibly,” Nico grunted, flopping down on the couch, not having realized how heavy his limbs were feeling. He relayed his encounter with his father to the immortals, not sparing a detail.  
Once he was finished, Dionysus and Chiron exchanged a look. “It seems like a done deal to me,” Chiron said. “I expect you will want to set off as soon as possible?”  
“That’s just it, though!” Nico’s anger shone through his calm demeanor. “My father didn’t tell me who I was supposed to help, and I don’t know where to start!”  
Chiron glanced at him with a pitying expression. “Then your first course of action is to find which spirit it is.”  
Nico bit back a retort. “That’s harder than it sounds, you know.”  
“Your father will grant you save passage to anywhere in the Underworld,” Dionysus said. “You have nothing to fear, no time limit, and once you find the spirit, it may not be hard to appease it.”  
“Assuming I find the spirit,” Nico grumbled. “My father only told me that he fought in Troy.”  
“So you know where to go if you don’t find the spirit, then,” Chiron said reassuringly. “Also, you may bring three companions. I think, if the right ones are chosen, this quest will be rather simple.”  
Nico wanted to throw something once he and Will left the Big House. This quest was so annoyingly vague, he had no place to start, and why would he care about a single unhappy spirit in Elysium?  
Will took his hand. Nico calmed down a little bit, but it was only then he realized the grass around his feet had withered and died. “Oops.”  
Will gave a little smile. “No hard feelings.” He turned to face Nico, holding both his hands now. “Don’t let it get to your head. It’s a simple quest.”  
“It’s annoyingly vague. Even Chiron isn’t helping,” Nico snapped.  
“We know where to start, though,” Will said. “You must go to the Underworld and hope you find the spirit.” Nico nodded, not meeting Will’s eyes. “Who will you take with you?” he asked.  
Nico paused. He hadn’t thought about that, but now was almost dreading bringing three people with him. “I don’t know,” he muttered.  
“Your father said something about a river god and a water nymph? Percy’s back, you could bring him.” Nico really didn’t want to bring Percy though.  
He pursed his lips, Will noticing. “Okay, then, you could bring Annabeth as well. She’d be helpful,” Will said. Nico nodded, a little more at peace.  
His thoughts were faster than his brain, though. “Will you come?”  
Will gave his annoying thoughtful smile. “I’d go with you anywhere.”  
His boyfriend leaned in to lightly kiss him.  
Of course, Nico would later deny eagerly kissing him back, leaning in and burying his fingers in Will’s blonde hair, but for now, he was content right where he was.


	2. A Loved One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elysium holds the stories of many interesting people.

Jason thrived in Elysium. It was like the heaven of the Underworld was never ending, growing according to the people that came to live here. Sometimes it felt too big, but in the few months he knew it had been since he had died at the hands of Caligula, he had seen many old friends greet him.   
Elysium was always sunny, a light breeze always comforting when Jason stepped outside. The sky was always blue, and everyone in the afterlife of heroes was happy.   
There were hundreds of places a person could go if they got bored, though. There were millions upon millions of food options, and a recreation center on every block you could walk. There were agoras reflective the ancient Greek culture scattered all around Elysium, and despite the massive size of the place, Jason was never alone.  
He had his own equivalent of a mansion that had been given to him upon his arrival. If the patterns he had noticed were correct, the more heroic somebody was, the bigger their living quarters. Even the dastardliest of the heroes in Elysium got beachside luxury apartments. Jason was fortunate that the judges had been kind and he was given a mansion, right next to the one of Luke Castellan.  
Luke had been Jason’s closest friend since he arrived in Elysium. He spent more time at Luke’s place than at his own, which was always bustling with friends just like him.   
Even now, he walked and talked at a slow pace with the son of Hermes. Luke would pause every few minutes, and introduce Jason to another hero he knew. Michael Yew, then Selina Beauregard and Charlie Beckendorf.   
Jason did miss his old friends, though. News had reached him that Apollo had finished his task of restoring the oracles and was sent back to Olympus, but he still visited his demigod children often. Jason had smiled at the news, knowing full well that Apollo would not forget his experience soon.  
Jason and Luke walked, chatting quietly. He would occasionally get a few stares due to the massive wounds all over his body, seeing as the spear mark never went away, and the shirts he wore were constantly soaked with blood. It never hurt, though, as much as he would probe the wound out of curiosity. Luke, too, had a wound, on his shoulder, a dark mark against his orange camp T-shirt. Many of the other heroes had wounds as well. He saw a young man with a dent in his skull above his left ear and a young woman with terrible burns all across her body, face hardly recognizable.   
Luke and Jason were sitting on a stone wall not far from a massive shopping mall when a large, burly man dressed in a simple white tunic and purple cape came up to them. He had gray hair stemming from his temples, but eyes that looked lively. The man had a clever smile stretched across his lips, reddish-brown hair and beard covering most of his face. He had a small puncture wound on his chest, but it was not terribly bloody or noticeable.   
“Hello, boys,” he said.   
“Odysseus,” Luke responded respectfully.  
Jason started, but Odysseus gave him a reassuring smile. “You must be Jason. I know your namesake, actually, but I must admit he’s not as good looking as you.”  
Jason raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. “Thanks, I guess.” He felt like he had to say something, so he did. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”  
Odysseus laughed loudly. “Quite the charmer, aren’t you, son of Zeus?”  
Jason almost retorted with a claim to Jupiter instead, but Luke nudged him when he opened his mouth, shaking his head. Jason shrugged.   
Odysseus kept talking, intelligent eyes seeming to pierce right through the boys. “You must be new around here, Jason. I don’t think I’ve seen you before. Nasty wound you have there.”  
Jason chuckled lightly, the hulking warrior making him uneasy. “Reborn and evil Roman emperors tend to get on my nerves.”  
Odysseus snorted. “Tell me about it.” He turned and found a comrade of his, walking alone.   
The man was maybe in his late twenties, but had a face and eyes that had seen centuries. He wore golden armor, a helmet tucked under his arm. A sword was sheathed at his side, but that didn’t make him seem any less dangerous. He had jaw-length wavy golden-blond hair, and green eyes like a shallow ocean. He was not smiling, rather looking at Jason with frightening intensity. Jason almost asked who he was, until he saw the arrow sticking out of the man’s heel, dripping blood.  
Jason tried not to stare at the legendary warrior Achilles, but it was hard not to. His features looked so clean and pristine, almost like he was fake. Then, Jason realized, maybe he was. His eyes that held centuries seemed dead, face worn down as if he was waiting for something he knew would never come.  
Odysseus clapped Achilles on the back. “Stop being such a pessimist, Achilles! We have newcomers. This one,” he gestured to Jason, “Is a child of Zeus.”  
Achilles narrowed his eyes at Jason, opening his mouth to speak. “The gods took everything from me. Once I was a trusting person, you know. No longer.”  
The warrior hero turned and walked away. Jason stared after him. Odysseus laughed. Luke and Jason stared at the wise hero, gazes curious.   
“Achilles has been wallowing in self-deprecation and guilt ever since he got here,” Odysseus said. “It has nothing to do with you.”   
“Why?” asked Luke. “I only met him when I went to the Styx, and he told me virtually nothing. Just something about how his arrogance killed him.”  
Odysseus’ smile faded. He looked after Achilles. “When Achilles was alive, he was vibrant with life, not like he is now. Now he will spend eternity here… in guilt.”  
“What is he guilty of?” Jason asked.  
Odysseus turned his gaze back to the boys. “You have heard Achilles’ story, correct?”  
“Yes,” Jason replied. “His mother was a sea nymph, Thetis, and when he was called to fight in Troy, she hid him among a group of young women to keep him safe, until you found him and brought him to fight. After years of fighting, Agamemnon insulted him, took his bed-slave, and Achilles refused to fight, until Hector started killing his men. Achilles killed Hector and dragged his body around on the back of his chariot, until he gave the body back to Hector’s father, Priam, and Paris killed him.”  
Odysseus looked angry. Jason feared it had been something he said. “Not all of that is true,” the hero said. “Yes, Agamemnon insulted him and took his bed-slave, but Achilles never slept with her, and he didn’t kill Hector because he killed his men.” Seeing the faces of confusion, he continued. “Hector had already killed many of his men. Another man, named Patroclus, begged Achilles to fight when he refused to, and then Patroclus donned Achilles’ armor and led the armies of Greece for him. Hector killed Patroclus, and Achilles went into such a rage that he overflowed the river of Troy with blood and bodies.”  
“Why have I never heard of Patroclus?” Luke said. “If he was as important to the war was you say, why does nobody know his name?”  
Odysseus sighed. “Patroclus and Achilles were lovers, so when he died, Achilles wanted their ashes to be intermingled so they would be buried together. When Achilles died, the ashes were put together. I…” Odysseus lifted his eyes. “Achilles had a son, named Pyrrhus, who refused to put Patroclus’ name on the gravestone. Patroclus came to me when I slept, asked me to put the name on the stone, so I asked Pyrrhus, not wanting to mark his father’s grave without his permission, but he refused, said it would taint his father’s legacy with the name of an unimportant commoner.”  
Jason and Luke exchanged glances. The king of Ithaca was distraught, and not knowing what to do, Jason kept talking. “Did you know Patroclus?”  
“I did,” Odysseus murmured. “He was good, kind, honest. I understood why Achilles loved him so much, and he didn’t deserve the fate he got. As far as I know, his soul is still tied to the world of the living, but it has been so long that nobody knows his name anymore to put his name on the stone. Achilles has been mourning for the last three thousand years, living in constant guilt of letting his beloved go out onto the battlefield as a resort of his arrogance at not coming to terms with Agamemnon.”  
Jason’s eyes flickered back to the solitary figure in the distance that was Achilles. He had no idea what the hero was feeling, and wasn’t sure if he wanted to know. Three thousand years of guilt and what-ifs were enough to make someone go mad. And now, he had no hope of seeing his lover again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed Achilles' description from the PJO books so it would fit more.  
> This chapter is long by my standards, so don't expect the same length everywhere else. Or double chapter days. I was pretty bored.


	3. A Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico assembles his group and leaves to the Underworld to find the spirit.

Nico knocked on the door of the Poseiden cabin lightly. Percy answered the door in a few moments, raising an eyebrow as he saw who it was.   
“Sup,” he muttered. Percy was in his pajamas, looking like he had been ready to go to bed.   
“I have a quest from my father,” Nico said, getting straight to the point. “He said I may bring three people with me, and I would appreciate your help.”  
Percy stayed silent for a moment. “Why?”  
“My father warned me about several dangers that it would include. He told me it was a powerful sea nymph and a river god.”  
Percy nodded, thinking. “Who else?”  
Nico should have expected this. “I was going to ask Annabeth as well, and Will is coming as well.”  
“Where to?” Percy said.  
“I have to stop in Elysium first. My father wants me to fix one of his problems. He said there’s a spirit there that is not happy, and apparently this spirit is special. Assuming I don’t find him, or if I do, we’ll go to the ruins of Troy,” Nico explained. Seeing Percy’s look of questioning, he added, “It won’t take long, but I need you.”  
Percy looked into Nico’s eyes, making him squirm, but shrugged. “I’ll do it if Annabeth says yes.”  
“Thank you,” Nico said, turning to leave.  
“No problem. When are we leaving?”  
Nico faced Percy again. “Tomorrow morning.”  
“Good.” The door shut. Nico breathed out a sigh of relief, but nerves still fluttered in his stomach. Annabeth next.  
He knocked on the door of the gray Athena cabin. Malcom Pace answered the door. Behind him, his siblings bustled around, probably getting ready for bed. “I need to talk to Annabeth,” Nico said.  
Malcom nodded suspiciously. He turned called Annabeth from the interior of the cabin. Soon enough, the blonde haired girl came out.  
She offered a tiny friendly smile. “Hey, Nico.” Before he could open his mouth and speak, she interrupted him. “You have a quest, right? Chiron told me.”  
Nico pursed his lips and nodded. “I was going to ask for your help.”  
“Who else is going with you?” she asked.   
Why does everyone have to know? He held his tongue. “Will already said yes, and Percy agreed to come if you did.”  
She nodded thoughtfully. “You have to make a stop in the Underworld first, correct?” After a moment’s pause of contemplation she said, “It seems like a good group. Tell Percy I said yes.” Nico said nothing. She looked at him for a moment. Whatever she was thinking, she didn’t say. “I assume we leave tomorrow morning?”   
He nodded. They bade each other good night, and Nico left to the Hades cabin after leaving a note to Percy telling him of Annabeth’s choice.   
The next morning, Nico woke alone. He packed a small bag of extra clothes along with all the money he could scrounge from the cabin.   
He quickly ate some breakfast with the amassing crowd of campers in the mess hall. He squeezed in next to Will, who also had a bag tucked down by his feet.  
As soon as they finished, they walked up the hill to the entrance at the camp, where Percy and Annabeth waited. Annabeth’s dad’s car was parked down on the road.   
With few words, they got all their stuff packed into the car and were one their way.   
They made their way to the Gate of Orpheus in Central park. The drive was only about an hour and half, but when they got out of the car, every bone in Nico’s body was grumbling angrily at him.   
He winced as the sun blinded him. He looked over at Will, who looked, admittedly, great in the sun. Nico pouted, but wasn’t complaining.   
Percy, Annabeth, and Will knew they couldn’t follow him to the underworld, so they parked the car and went to go get food.   
Nico looked down at the entrance and, with some focus, opened it. He descended down into the underworld, and found himself on the edge of the Field of Punishment. He made his way through crowds of spirits milling around and found his way to the path to Elysium.   
Entering, he saw many spirits there. Most of them had battle wounds, which he tried not to look at.   
“Nico?!”   
He turned to look for the source of the call, and found himself face to face with Jason Grace. “Jason,” he murmured. He had been down here before, but was very glad to know that the son of Jupiter had made it to Elysium.  
The latter raced up to the son of Hades. “Nico! Why are you here? Are you-“ A stern look crossed the demigod’s face.   
“No.” Nico let himself smile a little bit. “I’m not dead, Jason. It… it’s good to see.”  
Jason sighed in relief. “Yeah.” He paused. “Why are you here?”  
Nico looked at the son of Jupiter. “I have a quest from my father,” he said. “I have to make an upset spirit happy, or something.”  
“That’s really vague,” Jason said, then started. “Oh! There’s somebody I want you to see.” Turning around, Nico saw Luke Castellan walking towards them.   
Nico had never personally known Luke, but had heard stories about how he was truly a good man, just led astray by the wrong person. “Luke,” he said respectfully, but nothing else.   
“Well,” Jason said, breaking the tension. “Do you know who you’re looking for?”  
“No,” Nico said.   
When Luke looked confused, Jason told him what Nico had said. Luke gave Jason a look. “Well… you know what Odysseus said.”  
Jason looked back at Nico with a hopeful little look. “Achilles could be the guy you’re looking for.” Jason relayed Odysseus’ story back to Nico.   
Nico thought for a moment. It fit all the criteria. Achilles was well known, died in Troy, and was seemingly very depressed.   
“I think we found our spirit.”


	4. An Argument

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico, Jason, and Luke arrive at Achilles' house, but didn't have the interaction they were expecting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you already hadn't picked up on this, my posting schedule isn't really structured, so it could be up to a week before I post again, fyi.

If Jason’s place was a mansion, Achilles’s housing was a palace. The place was massive, hidden from the public eye. The young men had had to walk for almost half an hour before they saw the palace. It wasn’t overwhelmingly big, seeing as it was really only supposed to house one person, but it was still huge.   
The trees around it seemed to have a purple tinge to them, as did the mountains that stretched out behind it. The palace was seated on an outcropping of rock from the middle of a massive lake that was surrounded by waterfalls. The bridge to the building felt like it took ten minutes to cross, but they finally made it.   
The doors to the palace were fit for a giant, made of glossy oak. Before Nico could knock, the doors opened to a young woman maybe a few years older than Nico wearing a white dress and bloody mark on her stomach. Her brown eyes illuminated her dark skin framed by dark, gleaming hair.   
“I saw you from the window,” she said in Ancient Greek. “Please come in.”  
Nico, Jason, and Luke exchanged a glance, but followed her.   
The foyer of the palace was a monstrous staircase curved around the space and led to the second floor. Nico thought he saw a shadow flickering up in the dark space above them, but it disappeared before he could look longer.   
The young woman led them to the right of the staircase where another room, just as big as the foyer was a large commons area with several lounging chairs. The woman led them to a couch not far from the door, sitting down.  
The three took a seat on the sofa across from the one she had perched herself on top of.   
“My name is Briseis,” she said, looking at them expectantly. Pointing at Jason at Luke, she said, “I’ve heard of you two. Sons of Jupiter and Hermes, correct?”  
Jason was surprised to hear her identify him by his father’s Roman form, but nodded. Briseis looked at Nico. “I don’t know you, however.”  
“Nico di Angelo,” he introduced himself. “My father is Hades.”  
She nodded understandingly. “I suppose you have a reason for being here?”  
“Um, yes,” Luke interrupted. “Isn’t this where Achilles is? Why are you here?”  
She pursed her lips. “Yes,” she said slowly. “It is.” Under her breath, “I thought he would be lonely. It’s been so long…”  
“Excuse me?” said Jason. “We need to talk to him. Actually Nico does. We’re just here for the ride, but I think,” he said, looking at Nico, “that this is pretty important?”  
Nico shrugged. “I mean, it’s not a life-or-death kind of situation, but yeah, pretty important.”  
Briseis shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Well, Achilles doesn’t really like to talk to people, especially if he doesn’t know them. I’m not sure if it’s a good idea.”  
Nico felt his heart drop. If Achilles was unwilling to talk to people, there was no way for him to really know if he needed to help him, or if he was, what Nico could do.  
“I understand,” he started to say, but Luke interrupted him.   
“It’s urgent.”  
Briseis cocked her head a little bit. “You just said it wasn’t a life-or-death situation. I don’t feel as if it’s as urgent as you say it is.”  
Nico huffed. This girl was starting to become insufferable. “Listen, lady,” he said voice beginning to get louder. “If you want him to stop being as miserable as he is, you should probably-“  
A new voice cut him off. “Briseis? Who’s that?” The voice came from the staircase in the foyer. It was soft, but harsh at the same time, and almost sounded like it was slurred.   
Briseis glared at Nico, brown eyes glinting dangerously. “You won’t like him when he’s angry, just to warn you.” Standing up, she turned back to them. “I suggest you don’t make him angry.”  
The boys followed her into the foyer where Nico saw the legendary warrior hero. He was wearing a loose blue covering that looked like a robe, but was unfastened and showed off a muscular chest. Achilles’ green eyes bore down on the trio, then turned to Briseis.   
“Who are they?” His voice was flat, uncaring. He held a bottle of what looked like whiskey in one hand, the rail of the stairs in the other. He descended the stairs with a sloppy gait, swigging from the bottle once or twice before he reached the group.   
He glared at Briseis again. “Who are they,” he repeated, not even a question anymore, more of a demand. “Why are they in my house,” he said.  
Briseis gave them an apologetic look, then turned back to the warrior. “They said they needed to talk to you.”   
Achilles looked at the young woman with an amused expression. “And what did you tell them?”  
“Um…” Briseis stammered. “I told them you didn’t like to be disturbed and that they should leave.” She shot a warning glance at the boys.   
Achilles smiled, but it was cold and cruel. “Good.” Turning back to the stairs, he took another swig of his drink.   
“Wait!” Nico said before Achilles could leave again. “Can you tell us anything about Patroclus?” Achilles’ arm dropped to his side and Briseis let out a sort of whimper. Nico ignored this and kept talking. “We think-“  
In the blink of an eye, Achilles had turned around and thrown the bottle straight at Nico’s head, who just managed to dodge it, losing his balance and toppling to the floor.  
Achilles stormed up to Nico, who refused to shrink back. He grabbed Nico by the front of his shirt and hoisted him into the air. “Don’t,” he growled, “ever speak to me like that.”  
He dropped Nico and stomped back to the stairs, turning only to give a dark glare at Briseis. “What have I said about letting people in?”  
She continued to look straight into his eyes, not flinching. “I apologize,” she said, sarcasm dripping from her tone, “that you are a dumbass.”  
Achilles probably would have slapped her, but he managed to get control of himself. Turning back to Luke, Jason, and Nico, who had stayed silent almost the entire time, he said, “Leave. I don’t ever want to see your faces again,” and turned back up to the stairs.   
Once he was out of earshot, Nico released the breath he didn’t know he was holding.   
Luke stared in amazement. “Why is he like that?”  
Briseis shot a sorrowful glance up the stairs. “Achilles was right. You should leave.” Grabbing her cloak, then she said, “Come. I will tell you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Achilles' palace inspiration: https://wallpapertag.com/fantasy-castle-wallpaper  
> I don't own this.
> 
> Thanks to all my reviewers! Comments are much appreciated. (Even more than kudos, if ya know what i mean)


	5. An Explanation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Briseis tries to help Nico understand.

The air in Elysium wasn’t cold, but Nico had chills running down his back as he walked along with Briseis down the path to the city. Jason and Luke trod behind Briseis and Nico as she walked swiftly down the cobblestone paths.   
Nico cleared his throat. “You were going to explain? I still don’t really know who this Patroclus is that everyone keeps talking about. Why was Achilles so angry?”  
Briseis rounded on him. “You ask too many questions.” She turned around and kept walking.   
Nico threw his hands up in exasperation. “Look. I don’t know who you are, but I do know that you said you would explain this mess to us, so if you could-“  
Luke seized Nico’s shoulder, shaking his head. “Be patient,” he said. “If she said she would tell us, she will, just wait.”  
Nico scowled. He raised his voice. ”This Patroclus sure sounds like an idiot. What kind of idiot would make Achilles so pissed of whenever somebody mentions his name?”  
Jason looked like he wanted to face palm. “Nico, we know enough that you shouldn’t go throwing his name around. Even if it isn’t a lot, it’s all you have to complete this quest, and if you drive everyone away before you start, you don’t have much of a fighting chance.”  
Briseis turned around. “What quest?”  
Nico crossed his arms and sneered at her. “What does it matter to you?”  
Briseis narrowed her eyes. “Why are you here?”  
Nico opened his mouth to answer, but Jason butted in. “Nico has quest from his father, but it has been requested that it remain a secret.”  
Nico looked questioningly at Jason, who refused to meet his gaze. “You know what,” Nico said, “I didn’t ask for your help here. You can leave.”  
Jason and Luke looked at each other, and shrugged. “Fair enough,” Luke said. “It’s your quest.”  
With no more words, Luke and Jason turned around and left the way they had come.   
Nico was surprised, to be completely honest. So many people refused to give up on him, but now that they had, their rejection was like a slap to the face. He refused to admit that he deserved it. Turning to Briseis, he said, “And you?”  
She looked down at her feet. “I did tell you I would explain. It is a fault of mine. It is a painful topic that I do not wish to speak of.”  
Nico rolled his eyes. “You could have said that before you said you would tell me.”  
“I needed to speak of it. Achilles doesn’t like to speak of it, and every time I try to speak of it, he grows angry and leaves.”  
Nico blinked. “How do you two know each other?”  
She took a deep breath and raised her eyes to the sky. “Through Patroclus.”  
“I don’t-“  
“Nobody does, child. Hush.” Seeing Nico shut his mouth, she continued. “Patroclus was what anyone who fought for the Greeks during the Trojan War would call the true hero, or the best of the Greeks. Achilles had a prophecy, you see-“  
“What the hell does a prophecy have to do with any of this?”  
Briseis glared at him. “It all fits. Shut up.” He shut up, so she continued. “Achilles’ prophecy was he would be the best of the Greeks if he fought in the Trojan War. Patroclus had killed a young boy when he was ten years old, so his father had sent him to live with Achilles’ father in exile. But Achilles and Patroclus fell in love, and when Achilles was sent to go train alone, Patroclus followed. They stayed there until they were sixteen or seventeen, and that was when the Trojan War was beginning to start. Paris had stolen Helen away from Menelaus, and Agamemnon was called to lead the troops into to Troy.   
Achilles’ mother didn’t want him to fight, however, because she had received another prophecy that said that Achilles would die in Troy once Hector, the prince, was dead. She sent him away for a few years in hiding, but Patroclus followed him still.”  
Briseis looked at Nico with intelligent brown eyes. “Patroclus would follow Achilles to the end of the earth, and Achilles would do the same.   
“I was supposed to be a bed slave. At the beginning of the war, my village was sacked and I was taken into the camp for the men. Agamemnon was about to claim me, but Achilles stepped in and did it instead. I think it was Patroclus, though. I never really spoke much with Achilles in those years.   
“Nearing the end of the war, there was a young girl for the men, the daughter of a local priest of Apollo. Agamemnon claimed her, but a plague fell over the camp, sent by Apollo, so Achilles and Patroclus went to Agamemnon and asked that he return the girl to his father. It took a while to get him to comply; so many men died. Agamemnon gave the girl back, but as a punishment for Achilles testing his authority, he stole me, one if his bed slaves, which diminished Achilles’ value of victory and hurt his pride.   
“Achilles refused to fight or lead his troops as his pride was injured, so the Greeks started losing the war. Patroclus saw it, and begged Achilles to fight, or help Patroclus lead the troops in his place. Achilles agreed, but when Patroclus went to fight, Hector killed him.”   
Briseis took a deep breath. “Achilles died that day. He went out to the gates of Troy in such a rage and killed so many men that they say the blood has not washed from the stones on the bank of the river.”  
Nico released the breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. “I know this bit. Achilles killed Hector, and then Paris killed Achilles.”  
Briseis nodded sadly. “But the one thing that nobody seems to understand is how much Achilles mourned the day Patroclus died. He tried to kill himself, and refused to let go of his beloved’s body for days afterwards. He even asked that their ashes be mingled so they would be buried together. They loved each other more than anyone thinks, more than the greatest loves in history. People say that the gods had to intervene because Troy was not meant to fall before Achilles died.”  
“I take it this Patroclus was a good man, then,” Nico said.   
Briseis’ shoulders sagged. “The best of the Greeks, they called him.”  
“Where is he now?” Nico said.   
She refused to meet his eyes. “Nobody knows. Odysseus claims that Achilles’ son refused to put the name on the gravestone of his father. Achilles hoped that somebody would put it on the stone, but he lost hope centuries ago.”  
Nico nodded and set off down the path. Briseis stared after him. “Where are you going? Nobody knows where the grave is, and it’s most likely a pile of dust now!”  
“I know what I have to do,” Nico said bluntly. He would not fail.


	6. A Journey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico emerges from the underworld, and the demigods take a trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! I've been super busy lately and didn't have time to make a new chapter.

When Nico emerged from the gates of Orpheus again, he was met with the setting sun over the New York skyline. Will, Percy, and Annabeth were nowhere to be seen, but the car was still parked where they had left it.  
He walked down the crowded streets, stomach growling at him. He finally spotted them sitting outside a café, deep in conversation. He walked up to them and pulled up a chair at their table.   
Will grabbed his hand and squeezed it, but Nico didn’t meet his eyes. He took a breath and looked up at the group. “We’re going to Troy.”  
The group started. Annabeth glanced at him from Dedalus’ laptop. “Did you find who you were looking for?”  
Nico nodded silently. “I did. He didn’t offer any information, though, but I think we need to check out his grave.”  
Percy raised an eyebrow. “Who?”  
“Achilles.” Nico recounted everything to the group: running into Luke and Jason, which made the group shift, but Nico reassured them that the two were doing well. He also told them about going to Achilles’ place and meeting him and Briseis. He told them about Patroclus, or at least the information that Briseis had given him.   
“What are you suggesting?” Will asked.  
Nico shrugged. “I don’t really know. If Briseis is right and Patroclus is simply a remnant now, we would have to find him, and then find someone who knew him to put his name on the gravestone, which may not even exist anymore.”  
Percy and Annabeth exchanged a look. “Look,” Nico said. “I didn’t know how this quest would go when I asked you to come along.”  
“No, we know,” said Annabeth. “It’s not that we won’t help.”  
“It’s just harder with the very little information you were given,” said Percy.  
Nico gritted his teeth and tangled his fingers underneath the table. “I know,” he said under his breath.  
Will took a breath, and straightened his back. “So, to Troy, then?”  
Nico looked at him, then lowered his eyes and nodded. He felt a little guilty that he couldn’t give them more information, but didn’t want them to leave him to struggle with this alone. Even now with a destination in mind and some semblance of a goal, much of his quest was still shrouded in mystery.   
The group decided that the best way to get to Troy was to fly. They were lucky enough, when Percy called Rachel (through a street phone they found) that her father was willing to lend them a private jet and a pilot to go with it. God knows what Mr. Dare thought four teenagers were going to do in Turkey, and Nico really hoped that the pilot was used to strange things.  
They managed to get a hotel room for the night before they would drive off to Dare Enterprises in the morning. They didn’t have enough money to get anything bigger than a room with two queens, but it wasn’t like anyone would be uncomfortable sharing… right?   
Nico found himself shifting uncomfortably on the bed next to Will, hoping not to keep the other awake. Percy and Annabeth had already fallen asleep, holding each other comfortably on the other bed.   
After a few minutes of struggling to fall asleep, he felt Will shift.  
Cursing himself, he feigned sleep, but Will nudged him with his shoulder.   
Nico curled into a tighter ball, back to the son of Apollo. Will said nothing, but flipped over so he was facing Nico’s back.   
The son of Hades wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t for Will to wedge his arms around Nico’s midsection and nuzzle his nose into the nape of Nico’s neck. His breath hitched, and Will placed the softest kiss to the skin closest to his mouth.   
“Better?” came the whisper.  
Nico was scared to breath, afraid to scare off the warm presence around him, but nodded. It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep after that.   
He woke the next morning, with the rest of the group still sound asleep. He looked at the clock, and realized that they should get moving if they wanted to make it to Dare Enterprises on time.   
He tried to sit up, but found Will still fastened to his back. He turned his head to look for the blonde head of hair. Blue eyes started to blink sleep away. Will smiled sleepily at Nico.  
The moment was ruined by the beeping of the alarm that Annabeth had set the night before. Leave it to her, Nico thought bitterly.   
Percy sat straight up, rubbing his eyes, fingers running through his tousled dark hair. Annabeth snorted as she rolled over onto her back. She looked over at the other bed to see Will staring after Nico, who disappeared into the bathroom.  
Half an hour later, the group was in the car again. Several hours later, they were boarding a private jet, pilot greeting them like a friend.   
“So,” the man said as soon as they had boarded. “My name is Fisher. You are…?”   
They introduced themselves, seeing no harm in talking to the pilot Rachel had specifically asked for.   
Fisher nodded thoughtfully. “Pardon me for asking, but what are four teenagers going to do in Turkey?”  
Annabeth cut in before Nico could reply. “Well, I’m going to college in Italy in the fall, and I wanted to go sightseeing before I get too busy, so I brought some friends.”  
Fisher grinned. “Well, let’s get the show on the road, right? Well… sky… you know what I mean.”  
Laughing at his own joke, he walked to the cockpit and turned on the seatbelt sign.   
Nico turned to Annabeth. “Why did you do that?”  
“Lie, you mean?” she asked. “If you go around telling everybody that you’re a demigod on the way to check out the grave of Achilles’, even the Mist can’t fix that.”  
Nico stared at her. “I wouldn’t have said that, you know.”  
“I know,” she said. “You’re bad at lying.”  
Nico shrugged off the comment.   
Fisher’s voice came over the overhead speakers. “Alright ladies and gents… to Turkey!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Troy was discovered to be in northwest Turkey, for those of you who don't know.   
> *the things you learn when you're a writer.


	7. A Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Achilles in the Underworld...

Achilles was dreaming:

He jumps of Charon’s skiff in determined hope. The judges sentence him to Elysium.  
Good, he thinks. He will be there.   
He looks at the city from the gates and pushes through crowds of people he does not know, does not care about.   
Hours later and hoarse from yelling out the name, he stops. He falls to his knees.   
He whispers the name to himself, and now it comes out in a shivering whimper arising from his throat. “Where are you…?”  
He is alone now, the streets of Elysium are empty and so is he. He presses his face to the cold ground of the Underworld, cursing his stupidity and cursing his fate.   
How long he is there, he does not know. How much longer will an eternity feel like without him?  
A pair of feet stops in front of Achilles, and he looks up. A handsome man stands in front of him; a huge gash in his throat is dripping blood. Hector.   
Achilles sees red in that moment. He lunges with all the strength in his body and grabs Hector’s shoulders, ramming him into the ground over and over, screams with what voice he has left.   
“YOU KILLED HIM,” he shrieks. “YOU MURDERER!”  
Achilles is dragged off of the Prince of Troy by guards made of bones. He struggles and tries to fight them off. No guard could hold him back. Bones clatter to the ground as Achilles breaks through each and every one of them until he realizes that Hector has already escaped. 

Achilles sat up in his large bed in the Underworld, arms swinging. Realizing where he was, he fell back on the bed with a groan. He rubbed his eyes, and his gaze fell to the untouched sheets next to him.   
Even after all these years, they were still waiting. Many had come and gone, trying to help Achilles and tell him to find someone. His response remained the same every time: “I already have. But I lost him, and I have no desire to find a replacement.”  
He swung his feet over the side of the large bed, and slipped on a robe of sorts over his shoulders.   
He made his way downstairs to see Briseis reading a book, curled up in a chair next to a fire.   
She looked up to see him walking nearer. “About time. It’s past noon.”  
Achilles fought back a sneer. Gathering himself, he sat down in a chair not far from her. “Listen,” he started, but she cut him off.  
“No need to apologize. I let them in, and this is not my house.” Briseis was always willing to forgive him, despite his occasional stupidity. It wasn’t Briseis’ house, though, that much was correct. Briseis had a small flat on the other side of Elysium, but it was small and Achilles knew that she didn’t want to be alone.   
“What did they want?”  
Briseis shrugged. “Information? Patroclus was the main point. Don’t ask me why,” she hurried as she saw him open his mouth. “I don’t know.”  
Achilles felt his stomach constrict. If anything, Patroclus’ face was the one thing he remembered from his life. He wondered if Patroclus remembered him; still tied to the land of the living, lost forever because nobody knew his name.  
“You should go out,” Briseis said, standing up. “It will do you good.”  
Achilles went, knowing that Briseis was right.  
Not long before he left, he ran into Odysseus. He was half tempted to turn around, not wanting to talk to the Athena’s beloved champion.   
Odysseus let out a loud laugh and clapped Achilles on the back when he saw the other man. “Nice day, isn’t it?”  
“It’s always a nice day.”  
Odysseus shrugged. “Maybe so, but I wasn’t talking about the weather.”  
Achilles followed his instincts and walked away. Odysseus followed.   
Achilles sighed. “What do you want?”  
“To talk,” Odysseus said. His face suddenly held a stern look. “Do you need anything?”  
Achilles tried to walk away again. “No, I don’t. Leave me.”  
Odysseus grabbed the other’s arm. “Yes, you do.”  
Achilles tugged his arm away. “I don’t need your help.”  
“Yes, you-“  
“Leave me alone!” Achilles’ hand moved of his own accord. He drew the knife he kept strapped to his leg and held it out, pointing it at his old friend.   
Odysseus looked at him with a sad look, and did as the hero asked.   
Alone, Odysseus looked back at Achilles who was glaring around the crowd of staring heroes.   
A voice beside startled him. “He’s not doing well, is he?”  
Odysseus turned to see Telemachus, his son. Turning back to look at the golden-haired man, he wasn’t surprised to see he had disappeared again. Being honest, Odysseus had no idea were Achilles went when he wasn’t at his “hidden palace”, as the citizens of Elysium came to call him.   
Odysseus sighed. “Come,” he slapped Telemachus on the back. “Let us find your mother.”  
Meanwhile, Achilles was picking his way through the crowd flowing through the city of the blessed souls. He found his way to the entrance of the massive grounds, and made his way to the Fields of Punishment.   
Normally, souls were not allowed out of their assigned places in the Underworld, but Achilles was never one to follow rules.   
He followed the sounds of tormented screaming until he came across the place he had visited many times. He looked down on the young man with red hair, who was chained to a pair of lions that looked at Achilles warily, but continued back to lashing out on the man.  
Pyrrhus looked up. “Hello, father,” he said with stained teeth. “Have you come to torment me again?” One of the lions sank its claws into his leg, and he threw his head back in pain.   
Once Pyrrhus had caught his breath, Achilles leaned down and looked his son in the eyes. They looked about the same age now, but Achilles wore it better without being drenched from head to toe in blood.   
“If this is about your dear Patroclus, I don’t regret it. I don’t know why you keep coming back.”  
Achilles snarled and his hand lashed out, catching on the other’s lip.   
“Don’t test me. You have caused me enough torment.” He stood up and began to walk away.   
Pyrrhus howled from behind him: “I did it for you! I protected your honor!” When Achilles did not turn around, he mistakenly yanked on the chains. A roar was heard, and then a scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Telemachus is Odysseus' son, for those of you who have not read the Odyssey.


	8. A Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group begins their search of Troy, but come across an unexpected obstacle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh! Another chapter! I guess it's cuz i made you guys wait so long for the last one... sorry! Also, I just realized I originally put Major Character Death as one of the tags... No worries guys I'm not going to kill anyone off. I put it there because of all of the already dead major characters.

“Okay, so what now?” Percy asked as they stepped out of the taxi they had taken from the airport onto the dirt road.  
Nico looked around and saw the ruins of the ancient city. There was a beach behind them, and a large patch of sand that ran for a few miles as far as Nico could see. Further upland and a few miles away, there was a hill on which sat a thick grove of trees. “Um… I guess we split up and look?”  
“Well, we should still stay in groups in case something happens,” Annabeth said. “Percy and I will go down the beach, you two can look further inland.”  
“Sounds good,” Will said. He grabbed Nico’s hand and pulled him towards the ruins of the old city.  
“Where are we going?” Nico asked.  
“I’ve always wanted to see this,” Will grinned as he stared around. There were no people around. Nico felt uneasy, feeling as if there was a sharp tug just behind his navel. He started to feel nauseous and dizzy.  
“Are you okay?” Will questioned, face catching in a state of concern.  
“I’m fine, just a bit dizzy.”  
What felt like hours later, the dizziness and nausea had not gone away, and was now accompanied by a splitting headache. Will was concerned, per usual, and had given him some ambrosia, but it hadn’t helped for long.  
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s going on. We should tell Percy and Annabeth, maybe come back tomorrow when you’re feeling better.”  
“No,” Nico muttered. “I think it means we’re getting close.” They had made their way towards the grove of trees on the hill they had first seen when they landed.  
Soon enough, they saw Percy and Annabeth making their way towards them. Will gave Nico a pitying glance, and jogged to catch up.  
Nico walked slowly behind. The setting sun was not being merciful to the pain behind his eyes, and he felt that if he went faster, he might throw up.  
“What’s wrong?” Annabeth asked when they caught up.  
“He’s not feeling well…”  
“Maybe we should come back tomorrow,” Percy suggested.  
Nico was about to object again, but he swayed as a new wave of pain overtook him. A dark fog was clouding his vision. Before he knew it, he was on the soft ground.  
<^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^>  
It had taken a little effort to get a hotel room, and it wasn’t very large, but the group managed. They had dumped the unconscious Nico onto the bed, and Will checked up on his symptoms, coming to no definite conclusion about the reason for Nico’s bad health.  
They had decided to wait until Nico woke up to make a decision about the quest, seeing as it was his. What they didn’t expect, however, was to almost die.

Nico had been asleep now for several hours, when he had started dreaming. He only saw flashes of a life… someone’s life, not his own.  
He saw a large group on a dais, and a young boy clutching a wreath in his hands… He looked up and saw boys, running on a racing track, feet pounding into well-beaten race track… a young boy with golden hair and a golden circlet flicks past the other boys… and the scene shifted.  
He was standing in a field with a slope with rocks to his back. There was a boy there, one he had noticed carrying the wreath in the last vision. He was clutching a pair of dice, and there was another larger boy there, pressuring him to give him them. Nico only saw the boy’s mouth open and his hand hold out. The smaller boy refused, and before long, pushed the other down the slope… where his head was bashed on the rock, and he fell dead. The scene shifted again.  
The next vision was rather a compilation of them. Nico saw the same boy on the back of a horse, and that was when Nico realized that all of the faces in the scene were blurred out, and the vision shifted and glitched, as if there was something wrong with the source. The boy then appeared in a room with the same golden-haired boy from before. The golden boy was laying on a couch plucking at a lyre. “What’s your name?” Those were the first words that Nico could distinctly hear in his dream, and realized that the boy with the golden hair’s face was the only one he could see. With a jolt, he realized who it was.  
The other boy’s response was muffled, but the next words came as clear as day: “My name is Achilles.”  
The scene shifted again. The boy from before was sitting with Achilles on a beach. They were older now, but still looked about thirteen years old. Then, in a sudden moment, the unnamed boy leaned in and kissed Achilles. The scene shifted again.  
He saw the unnamed boy without Achilles, running. “Wait!” Nico yelled after him. “Wait!”  
“Nico…” another voice sounded in his ears as he raced past the boy.  
Scenes shifted past his eyes faster than he could see. There was a cave, and a centaur, whose face Nico could still not see. Then he was in a gray place, and he saw a group of women in white, and then he saw Achilles hidden among them. Then he saw faces blur past, screaming, and war. Pain and death and blood as he saw a tall woman in white.  
“Nico!”  
“Aah!” Nico sat straight up in the bed as he woke up. He raced to the bathroom and promptly threw up in the toilet.  
He pressed his head against the seat when he had drained his stomach, catching his breath. He inhaled deeply as he felt Will’s hand gently rubbing his back. Looking back at the door, he saw that Percy and Annabeth were nowhere to be found, presumably giving him his privacy. Will handed him a glass of water, and he drank gratefully, finding his head to still be pounding.  
“We need to go,” he said, voice hoarse. “I know he’s here. It might be too late.”

"Hold your horses, sunshine. You kinda summoned a skeleton in your sleep, you're exhausted."  
"What?" Nico stepped out of the bathroom to see, true to Will's word, a skeleton dressed in pristine golden armor. It stood silently watching Nico.  
"Yeah, it just appeared when you started talking in your sleep," Percy said. "It attacked us, and then you woke up and it stopped."  
"I've... never done that before..." Nico stared back at the skeleton in confusion.  
"Maybe you didn't summon it," Annabeth suggested.  
"What do you mean?" Will questioned.  
"What were you dreaming?" Annabeth turned to Nico.  
Nico relayed his dream, and Annabeth's face turned to recognition. She turned back to the skeleton.  
Nico followed her realization. "You don't think..."  
"Yes. Yes, I do."  
The skeleton in the golden armor stared back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe... cliffhangers!!


	9. A Healer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A surprise attack, and a glimpse of hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this chapter went really long, but no regrets!

The group struggled to keep up as the skeleton raced ahead of them. It jumped along the rooftops soundlessly apart from the rattling of the golden armor on the bones. Nico pushed away the dizziness that forced its way through is head as he continued on.   
“Who… who is it?” Will huffed as the skeleton slowed to a halt not far from where they landed the day previously. The sun was just peeking over the horizon as the skeleton stopped at the base of the hill and looked at them silently.  
“Achilles,” Annabeth said. “It must be because you met him in the Underworld, Nico, and his body recognized you.”   
“Shouldn’t it have… I don’t know… disintegrated by this point?” Percy pointed out.   
“I think that’s the armor working.” Nico said. “Hephaestus made it, so it’s stronger than most and I’m guessing it preserved his body somehow.”  
Percy wrinkled his nose. “Weird.”  
“That’s Hephaestus for you,” Annabeth said. They followed Achilles’ skeletal body up a large hill, a grove of trees at the very top. The group looked around, seeing nothing. “What are w-“ Nico turned around to ask the skeleton, but it had disappeared.   
“I guess we should look around, then,” Will suggested.  
The group looked for hours, but to no avail. There was nothing there except trees and a lump of stone that had been passed over. Nico had noticed his legs were shaking again, and had retreated to the bottom of the hill with Will, who advised him to lie down for a little bit. Every time Nico shut his eyes, however, flashes of something, whether it be fear or anger, washed over his senses. He gave up trying to rest after about twenty minutes.   
Climbing back up the hill, he looked towards the sea behind him. The waves gently tumbled over the sand on the beach, creating foam that rippled and grew. And grew, and grew… Nico narrowed his eyes. The foam seemed to form a figure, and the mist blocked his view before-  
“Nico, watch out!” Will’s voice cried out before something bowled him over. Nico quickly drew his sword, readying himself for a fight. Before him stood a dog-looking creature, with frothing jaws, but its paws were webbed and had 6-inch claws. The creature stood on its back two feet, but was hunched over. It looked remarkably like a telekhine, but it looked savage, not like the civilized smiths that inhabited Keos and Rhodes.   
He readied his sword, and the telekhine attacked. Nico slashed across at the thing, but it dodged his sword swiftly, snarling and dripping drool. There was another snarl as he turned around, and saw another, larger telekhine. Another growled at him from his other side, and he was effectively trapped between the vicious dogs.   
“Nico!” Will shouted from the side of the hill. It looked like the same thing had happened to him. He had his bow drawn, but could not shoot for fear of the dogs attacking him from behind. Nico looked up to the top of the hill and saw Annabeth in the same predicament. All was silent for a few moments while Nico worked up a plan.   
There was a sudden yell from the other side of the hill. Percy must have attacked, or at least tried to. More yelling ensued as four more dogs dragged the struggling son of Poseidon down the hill. Percy lifted an arm, attempting to command the sea to his will. A large wave crashed down over top of the front of the hill closest to the sea, but the dogs were not affected in the least. They only seemed to grow stronger, muscles twitching underneath scaled black skin. As the waves retreated back into the sea, licking at Nico’s boots, about twenty more dogs ran up from the ocean, snarling and ready to attack. He looked up to Will, who must have seen it, but had his eyes squeezed shut, evidently praying to one of the gods.   
Nico raised his sword again, and out of pure desparation, buried it deep in the earth. A crack formed, but it was shallow, and with his current state of exhaustion, Nico could not make it bigger. He sank to his knees, and the dogs advanced slowly, barking menacingly. One lunged forward, but suddenly exploded into dust. Nico looked up the hill, and saw that Will had fired his arrow, eyes wide as the dogs surrounding him clamped their jaws around his arms and legs.   
There was a terrible scream, coming from both Will’s pain and Nico’s reflective fear. Annabeth tried to rush down the hill, and Percy tried to climb up, but the dogs kept them where they were. For a moment, all seemed lost as Will’s blood soaked the grass, but a flash of light filled the surrounding area, and Nico clenched his eyes shut.  
When Nico opened his eyes, the dogs were gone, and scorches in the earth were all that remained. He looked up the hill, and saw a figure leaning over his boyfriend’s prone body. He struggled up the hill, heart pounding in fear. He sank next to Will’s body, and looked up at the blue eyes with rings of gold. Apollo leaned over his son’s body, muttering chants and healing spells. Will’s wounds slowly closed, blood disappearing, eyes fluttering.   
Nico stared and stared. Apollo sat back after a few moments, seeming to breathe a sigh of relief. Percy and Annabeth sat down beside the group, seeming unsure of what to say, or if to say anything at all. Finally, Apollo spoke.   
“Not to intrude, but what the hell are you doing here?” The tone almost sounded accusatory, and Nico reared back to make a retort, but his voice wouldn’t come.   
“What are you doing here?” Percy spoke for him.   
Apollo raised an eyebrow, and gestured down at Will. “I’m here because my son was attacked. And you are here,” he gestured back to the hill “searching for Achilles’ grave?”  
“So it is here!” exclaimed Annabeth. “We were looking for…” she paused, looking at Nico for conformation, but before he could give it, Apollo finished the sentence.   
“Looking for Patroclus. Hades wants him in the Underworld, I presume.”   
“Y-yes,” Nico said. “How did you know?”   
Apollo pursed his lips, looking away. “I’ve been paying attention. Patroclus… he was a good man, and I’m glad your father has finally decided to do something about it, but it may be too late at this point.”   
“How do you know?” said Percy.   
Apollo shrugged. “A spirit that’s been trapped on earth for too long with nobody they know left might not tend to be as benevolent as they were when living. I can’t give you a straightforward answer; it’s not my area of expertise. All I know is that he may have faded.”  
Nico wanted to throw something. All of this for nothing. There was nobody to help him. Nobody who knew him. “Did you know him?”  
Apollo gave Nico a bewildered look, then chuckled. “Um… not… not really. I… I helped kill him…” He took a deep breath. “I killed him and Achilles, so I’m not even sure I should be here. Thetis-“  
“Who’s Thetis?” Percy asked.  
“Achilles’ mother,” Annabeth answered. “I’m assuming she’s the one who sent the monsters.”  
“Probably,” Apollo said. “And she’s not going to like it if she finds me here. I should go.”  
“Yes, you should.” An icy voice came from the base of the hill. A tall woman stood there, with dark hair dripping down to her waist, white dress long and pristine, lips red like blood, and skin pale. “He who dares tread on my son’s grave faces the consequences, no matter their standing in Olympus.”  
Apollo rolled his eyes. He stood to leave, but Annabeth grabbed Nico’s wrist.  
“There might still be hope.” She looked up at Apollo. “You said something about a spirit fading if nobody remembers him. What about Chiron?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review!


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